Method and apparatus for manufacturing hard-steel fenceposts



April 28,V 1925.-

V. HOXIE ET AL AND APPARATUS FOR IANUFACTURING HARD STEEL FENCBPOSTS IIETHOD rma vom 29. 1922 ollll l Il wz N "f ramas api. ze, una,

uri-i sriefs Application led `December 29, i922. Serial No. 609,362.

lli/lnirriii C; Erna, citizensl of `the United i States, and residents of Adrian, inthe county of Lenawee and Stateof Michigan, have made an invention appertaining to a lldethod and Apparatus for Manufacturing llard-l'lteel Fenceposts; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and

enact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying dravfings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which formV a part of this i specification. y

This invention relates to fence posts of the hard steel type, and particularly to method and apparatus for providing the same with integral tongues for holding fence `wires to the post.

`i J! e l in tiie manuiacture of nietaliic fence posts practically all manufacturers, so far as We are aii'aie, employ a metal made from oldv rails and ivhich is a quality of steel called rail carbon, and is usually known in the steel mills as t Sunday night steel, being a steel upon which mistakes have been made` this steel is usually too high in carbon for ordinary commercial purposes and is used mainly for concrete reinforcing bars, some parts of agricultural machineryand metallic fence posts, all of which articles require high tensile strength. rlhis metal is very hard to ivorlr and has been found impractical for use Where punching andforming operations are required. i Y

ln the use of metallic fence posts it is necessary to provide means for securing wire fabric thereto. On account of the hardness of the steel from which these parts are made it has been found impractical to form integral tongues on a post for engaging with the Wires, as vhas been done in seine soft steel posts, and the posts have therefore ceinmoiily been provided with oblong holes and` special staples are furnished With the posts for insertion into the holes to fasten the fabric to the post. This manner of fastening the fabric has been very annoying to manufacturers, as lWell as to users, as the ordinary fence staplewill not fit, andthespecial staples employed together with the tool required `to fasten them frequently become lost `in transit, `resulting `in a large number of complaints and replacements. In the nmerous endeavors which have been made to form hard steel `posts with integral fabric securing tongues, it has been found that thetongues will either break oli' during the-foriiiing operation or when bent bach over a Wire to retain it in engagement with the post. For these and other reasons the forming of integral tongues on hard steel posts and the manipulation of such tongues afterv forming to have holding engagement with a fence 'wire have been impractical. and manufacturers liavetherefore continued with the use of the annoying special fence holding staples.

"sin .object of the invention is the provision or a simple, eflicient and economical method of producing integral fabric securing tongues on hard steel posts and to render i such tongues bendable in a direction neces :sary tolocl or retain a` fence `Wire to a post `without liability of breaking the tongue. A

further object of the invention is the provision of a simple and eficientmeans for practicing said method. i

rlhe iiivention'is fully described in the following specification, and While the method is capable of being practiced by different means, a preferred means for practicing the same is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which,-

Figure l is a fragmentary elevation of a. stamping means embodying the invention, with a part in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of theavorl guide and recessed tongue forming part; Figs. 3 and d are views of a portion of the forming mechanism and a Work-piece being acted on with the punch at different positions in a tongue forming movement thereof, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the Working y portion of the punch.

Referring tothe drawings, l designates a hard steel fence pest, Wl'iich may be of T, L or other forin in cross-section, as desired. The post has a face or side thereof intended ferpositioniiig next to the fencing to be hung and provided with a plurality of integral longitudinally spaced wire engaging tongues 2 Which are struck outwardly therefrom.

(iii

:troni the post at a slight angle or incline to its fabric engaging` face, and an outer end portion l), which has a slight inward angle with respect to the portion ct and is preterably disposed in a plane which more nearly approaches a parallel with the post race than docs the plane ot the body portion e. lhe spacingl ot the outer end portion a ot the tongue troni the post tace, substantially at the point` ot angle c or the tongue, should be substantially equal to the diainet r ot the line wire of a 'fabric to be hun@- so that a Wire disposed Within such space Will sea*L against. the tongue -at substantially the point of angle c. bending` ot the tongue end l) over the Wire secures the Wire to tit., and this is usually accon'iplished hy the end `portion oi the tongue one or :more bloivs ou its outer side with a lnlnuner, the bending action takingl place a, or adjacent to the point oiI the angle c betr-veen the tivo tongue portions. ln practice it i; found L preferable to dispose the body portion a ot the tongue at substantially a 20@ angle to the post tace and to dispose the end port-ion ZJ ot the tongue `at snlstantially a anale to the tace ot' the post, with the spire be* tn'een the tongue portion l) and th post face i e nafroiver at its inner end than et 'te end. `lll/'bile We have particular-lj.' the preferred angles bern'een post and the ditiiereut portions or the 5 it Will be understood. that the inverL c., ict intendel to be restricted to such anales4 rllhe provision ot the tongue with initial back angle c is found in practice to be very important, for Without it the tongue will in nearly every instance be brolren C Olga when atteinpt is inade to bend its end bach over the Wire, and furthermore, it is found important that the initial baci-r bend be formed simultaneouslj,v with the 'forming ot the inain tongue, or substantially so, and not subsequently thereto. The reason :tor this, so tar as understood is that in bending;- hard steel, one-halt of the cross-sectional area or" the article at the point ot bend is placed under compression and the other halt is placed yunder tension, and it a bach or reverse bend is then given to the article in coincident relation to the .toriner oppositely bent. portion, a tensionul stress is l@given to the previously compressed portion and liircalrage occurs. It, however, an initial bach bend is given to the article at the 'time oi forming, such hach bend may be later increased n'ithout ln'calrin.51 ott1 as the bend continues in the direction in which started.

Yfith nijf method a tongue is struct: outwardly trom thepiece ot steel and the s nn-ll or back bend l is siuiultaneously quentlv when a is a continuation of the operation that `formed the tongue and not a reversal thereof that would cause breakage.

The apparatus preferably employed lor practicing` the method above described is used in connection with a power press and includes a punch l() carried by and projecting` dmvnward from the press rain ll, and the cooperating tongue forming parts rurried beneath the punch by a bed-plate l2, Vthe bed-plate is recessed on its top to receive a Worlr guide and dic carrying pla 'e 123, vvhich projects above the top surface ot the brdplate and is provided in its top throughout its ength with a. Work receiving and E{ruidnio; roove lll', the bottoni oit shi-.flu

0 l: C a present instance, is vtlush n'ith the ton t bed nlate. ne Width ot the groove erably slightly greater han the .vid i oit the Work 1 to be operated on, to allen. tor differences in size, and one Wall o' the otroove has a pressure strip yieldinggly projo ,Y theretroin to bear against the adjacent `e ot' Work-piece to yieldingly hold it pr erly positioned Within the groove.

illu elongated die block lf3 is mounted in a recess provided in the plate 13 in t the bottoni ot its guide groove '14e and entends lengthwise ot the groove with its top flush with the bottoni thereo't'. The die blocl l@ is Ytorined in its top with a. recess 17.

which confor-ins to the shape of the tonojue 2 to be formed in a. post or Writ-piece l.

c dingue troni the Work bar When the prrr; is lowered, as is Well understood in `th stamping L rt. w1 block recess li', or that toward Which a :torined tongue is moved as the Work-piece l is fed over the bed-plate to bring sucre".- sive portions thereof into tongue formino; position, opens into a broadened recess 18 in the die block through which the torined tongues pass as the n'ork piece is ad winced. rlhe recess 1S continued through the registeringo rtion of the plates 13 and l2. The shape et the tongue 'forming' recess 17 is such that a tongrie at'tcr being formed, can pass theretroni lengthwise of the die plae, and into and through the registoring` recess Froin experiments it has been 'Found that the best results have been obtained b v ogiving the noseiportion otl the punch tor about 1/3 ot its length a rearward and upward iucline et ai.)proxiinateliv 3 troni av horizontal or 'troni the plane ot the Work surface to he acted on. the heel portion or remainingV length otthe norlriuc; surface ot' the punch an angle ot about 200 iron a horif/f ntal. or troni the plane ot the n'orl; surface to be acted ou, as shoivn in Fing. lit' the angles ot the nose and heel portions ot the worliueg end ci the punch are varied eren slightly. troni those designated it is 'found CII CII

that breakage et the tongues from the work during the punching operation is more apt to occur, the amount et breakage increasing with the extent ot variance ot the working faces oi' the punch from the angles noted.

.During a tongue punching operation the stripping of the sides ot the tongue from the stock progressively continues inward `:trom the nose portion oit the tongue, and when the nose portion ot the tongue has been swungl downward a ysutlicient distance to strike the bottom of the die bleek recess 17 its further downward movement is stopped thereby and the angled portion ot the punch between the worlving faces thereof then acts, during the continued downward move-ment thereof, to bend the tongue to form the relatively angled portions e and o thereof, the `tongue assuming the shape or angle oi the working tace of the punch as illustrated in Figs. l and Ll. It is apparent that the progressive stripping of the tongue i'rom the stock causes a progressive downward bending `of the tongue from the stock, as illustrated `in Fig. 3, and that the bending of the tongue to form the nose portion o thereof imparts a reverse bend to the metal in the tongue from that which is occasioned by the tongue stripping action. lt is found, however, that as thetwo bending actions take place in the same operation and practically simultaneously, the tongue will not be broken in two by the back bending action, as would be the case if such bending action were made in a subsequent operation.

lt is found quite important in practice that the portion ot the die block with which the end of the tongue coacts in the back bending operation shall be yieldable under abnormal strains and thatthe top surface of such portion shall be elevated slightly above the bottom of t-he communicating recess 18. 'lo accomplish this a yielding pressure block 2O is mounted in registering` bottom openings in the plate 13 and die block 16 in position to form the bottom of the die block recess 17 and is carried by a head block 21 mounted in an opening in the bedplate l2 and receiving the upper end thrust ,of a coiled compression spring 22 that is mounted in a housing 23 secured to ant depending` 'from the under side et the bedplate. llhe lower end thrust ot the spring 22 is against an adjusting block 24, the adjustment oit which to vary the tension of the spring is accomplished by the Yturning oit a screw 25, which is threaded through the bottom of the housing. The tension oli the spring 22 is sutticient to resist a lowering ot' the pressure block 2O during normal forming conditions but permits a lowering of the block during abnormal conditions or to compensate for a varying inthickness ot the stock metal -lrom which the tongue formed, it being understood that the punch nism due to the presence oit' the broken tongue in the bottom of the forming recess. Should the stock from which the tongue is formed be thicker than usual the pressure block Q0 will lower to compensate for the same and the difference in the normal elevation ot the top surfacev oit the block ink the bottom oi' the tongue withdrawing `recess 18 will permit an oversize tongue to pass through such recess without tending to raise the stock l above the bottom ot' the guide groove 14rin which it rests.

Should a tongue be broken` It the stock operated on is oit T-bar `form it is preferable to torni the successive tongues iirst on one and then on the other of the tace langes ot the bar. It the tongues are formed on the T-bar in this manner the tongue forming press may be provided with a plurality ot tongue iorm` ing parts arranged in staggered relation to simultaneously form tongues in the bar at both sides ot itsv leg flange, or the bar may be passed through the press twice so that in one feeding operation the tongues are formed in oneiaee flange and in the next feeding operation the tongues are formed in the other itace ttange. lit the stock is oi"- angle iron or channel bar 'form the tongues may be formed in a single line or in staggered relation as desired.

t will be understood that while we have shown and described a particular means for forming the tongues in accordance with my invention, we do not wish to be restricted to such mea-ns as the method may be practiced by numerous other means solong `as the stripping et the tongue from the stock and the back bending ot its nose portion takes place in the .same operation and simultaneously or substantially so.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim` as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,--

1. The method of making a metallic fence post or similar article with an integral tongue for subsequent back bending, which consists in taking a hard steel blank, stripping a tongue throughout its length Atrom the blank by a punching operation7 and in the same operation imparting an initial back bed to the outer end portion of the tongue toward the opening 'from which it is stripped and in the direction ot intended subsequent bending.

2. The `method ot' making a metallic fence post or similar article with an integral tongue for subsequent back bending, which consists in taking a blank of hard highcarbon steel, punching a tongue outwardly from the blank7 and causing the forming punch during the punching operation to cooperate with an opposed resisting means to impart an initial bacl; bend tothe outer end portion of the tongue toward the opening trein which it is punched.

rThe method of making a metallic tence post or similar article with an integral tongue tor subsequent back bending, which consists in taking a hard steel blank, progressiifely stripping a tongue from the blank rearwardly from the nose portion of the tongue, and at the saine time bending the tongue outward at a slight angle to the blank, and simultaneously imparting a back bend to the end portion oit' the tongue `to ward the opening from which it is stripped.

4. rlhe method ot forming hard steel Atence post stock with an integral tongue for sub- .sequent back bending, consisting in punching the tongue from the stock to assume an angle orp approximately 9,0@ thereto, and at the saine time iinpztrting an initial bach bending to an outer end portion ot the tongue to assume an outward angle of approximately 30 to the stock.

5. The method ot' itorniing hard steel fence post stock with an integral tongue for subsequent back bending, consisting in punching the tongue from the stock to assume an angle of approximately 200 thereto, and at the saine time imparting an initial `back bend to an outer end portion of the 'tongue constituting substantially 1/3 of its length to assume an outward angle of approximately 30 to the stock.

G. An apparatus for forming tongues on hard steel stock, including a recessed die7 and a punch for cooperating with the die to Yform a tongue on the stock, said punch haring a nose portion receding rearwardly at substantially a 8O angle to the :tace of the stock operated on and having a heel portion extending rearwardly from the nose portion at substantially a 20C lang-le to the stock tace.

7. An apparatus for orniing tongues on hard steel stock, including a izecessed die7 and a punch for cooperating with the die to form a tongue on the stock, said punch having substantially a -third yo'l' the length ot its Working end forming a nose portion and the remainder of its length forming a heel portion with the nose'portion receding rearwardly at a slightangle to the face oi the stock operated on and'with the heel portion extending rearwardly from the nose portion at a greater angle tothe stock face.

S. An apparatus for forming tongues on hard steel stock, including a recessed die, and a `punch vfor cooperatingy with the die to 'forni a tongue on the stock1 said punch having substantially a third of the length ot' its wonlting end forming a nose portion and the ren'iainder of its length forming a heel portion with the nose portion receding rearwardly at substantially a 3o angle to the tace ot' the stock operated on and with the heel portion at substantially a 200 angle to the stock face.

Se). An apparatus for forming tongues on hard steel stock, including a'recessed die having the bottom of its recess adapted to yield under predetermined pressure7 and a punch for entering the die recess and eooperating `with the die -to progressively strip a tongue iii-oma stock piece rearwardly from the tongue `end and cooperating With the yieldable recess bottoni to impart a predetermined back bend to the tree end portion ot' the vtongue duringthe stripping operation and toward the opening from which it is stripped.

ln testimony whereof 'We have 'hereunto signed our naines rto this specification.

VERNQN HOXIE. lilARTIN C. 4EPHE 

